German Patent DE 197 58 061 C2 describes a dishwasher which has a storage container positioned in thermally conductive relationship with a treatment chamber. Such a container may be filled with cold liquid (fresh water or softened water) so as to promote the condensation of warm moist air on the adjacent wall of the treatment chamber during a drying step of a cycle of operations. This, on the one hand, shortens the drying time and, on the other hand, makes it possible to save energy if the water from the container is used during a portion of the cycle in which heated liquid is needed. When two cycles are carried out in quick succession, the water in the second cycle contains the thermal energy it stored during the drying step of the first cycle. If there is a longer time interval between two cycles, the water is at room temperature, which is generally higher than the temperature of water which comes directly from the water supply line. In addition to promoting the condensation, the water can also store thermal energy toward the end of water-using operating cycle portions.
In water-using household appliances, it is known, and in dishwashers even common practice, to use water softeners to allow a number of water-using operating cycle portions to be performed with softened wash or rinse water. In these water softeners, an ion exchange resin exchanges the hardness-causing Ca2+ and Mg2+ ions with an equivalent amount of Na+ ions. When the ion exchange resin of the water softener is exhausted, it needs to be regenerated with brine. To this end, a supply of brine is used, which is produced in a regenerating device from salt and water, and is passed through the ion exchange resin. In order to obtain a desired brine concentration, a defined amount of water; i.e., a regeneration volume, is passed through a container filled with salt. The regeneration volume is added either as a metered quantity from a separate container, or in a volume-controlled manner via a water flow measuring device, for example, via an impeller flowmeter.
EP 1 080 681 A2 describes a switchover valve for controlling the hardness of rinse water. EP 1 733 675 A2 describes an appliance having an automatic door opening system. DE 10 2007 008 950 A1 describes the use of a fan to supply air to a countertop.